Steering gear for vehicles



Dec. 30', 1930. M. VEDOVELLI STEERING GEAR FOR VEHICLES Original Filed Oct. 11. 1928 Patentecl Dec. 30, 1930 MA IQ vEnovELLI, or MILAN, ITALY STEERING GEAR. FOR VEHICLES Original application filed October 11, 1928, Serial No. 311,880, and in Italy October 27, 1927'.

Divided and this application filed September 28, 1829. Serial No. 395,954.

Y The present invention relates to vehicles having steering wheels and has for its object a steering device adapted to correct the deviations ofsaid wheels at the time they are steered.

This application is a division of my application, Serial Number 311,890, filed October 11, 1928.

It is known that in order a turn may be described in a correct manner without slip by a vehicle, it is necessary that the axes of all the vehicle wheels intersect at a common point and therefore in the usual case of a vehicle'having two steering front wheels it is 5 necessary that the extensions of the axes of both front wheels intersect at a common point on the alignment of the common axis of the rear wheels.

In any case in a turn each steering wheel must steer through an angle different from ythe angle the other wheel or wheels is or are steered in order the turn may be made without slip.

The present invention has for its ob ect a 7 steering gear by which such a requirement is complied with by the factthat deviations through different angles are imparted to wheels byany given actuation of the steering gear.

In the annexed drawing are illustrated by wayofexample some embodiments of this invention and f Figure .1 is the diagram oi the position oi the wheels of a four-wheel vehicle with two steering wheels at time of steering;

Figure 2 is the plan view of a steering li ukage according to the present invention;

Figure 3 is the front view to an enlarged scale with parts in section of the device used toalter the length of the rod connecting the fsteering wheel actuating arms in the construction of FigureQ; r b

Figure 4 is a side view of parts illustrated in Figure 3. v a

In Figure 1, 0c and ,8 shows angles dilierent from each other through which the two steering wheels ww must deviate to correctly carry out aturn on a curve having its centre at O, w" being the rear wheels aligned On a common axis.

To comply with such a requirement in a construction of the kind of Figure 2 compris ing an axle 3 having wheel supporting and steering spindles 2, different deviations must be imparted to the swivel spindles 2 and to their controlling arms 1-1. I

Assuming a conventional steering gear is used in which one of the spindles 2 carries an arm 4 connected with a controlling rod 5 actuated by a conventional steering gear and arms 1-1 are interconnected by a rod as 6-6, for the purpose above referred to it is necessary that the length of said rod (3-43 be reduced in a defined ratio with respect to the increase of the deviation in1-' parted to arm 4 by rod 5 from the position corresponding with the straight running in which said wheels w'w are parallel with each other. Said variation (Z is substantially given by the following formula in which Z is the length of arm 1:

d=Z (sine ,8 sine 0:).

To secure such aresult the present iuvontion comprises a construction of steering llnkage in which the arms 1'1 areconnected by a-two-section rod 6-6 the sections of said -rod being interconnected by means causing the length of'the entire rod 6 6 to be altered under the action of the means actuating the stcering linkage.

In the embodiment shown in FigiiresQ, 3 and'i the two rod sections" 6-6 are engaged by cam means with a sleeve 7 embracing them and-said sleeve? is rotated by the steering bar 5 at the time said bar 5 actuates arm 4 and the wheel carrying spindles 2-2-of the front axle 3 of the vehicle.

More particularly in said construction arms 1'1 are interconnected by tworod sections6-6" and by sleeve 7 which embracesthe adjacent ends of said sections 6-6 and has cam slots Sengaged'by pins 9 fastened on the adjacent rod sections. Sleeve 7 has an integrally formed arm 10 engaged by means of pin 11. and slot 12 by an arm 13 fastened on rod 5 which imparts the steeringncontrol to arm' lof one of the wheel swivel spindles 2. v "In this construction 'a longitudinal di placement'o't bar 5 produces a deviation of arm a andof the swivel spindle 2 rigid'with it, and further it causes the sleeve 7 to rotate around its axis and therefore the opera tion of cam means 89 to cause sections '56 of the connecting rod to move into or Joutsaid sleeve *7 to alter the totalflenqth of the parts 6-7 6 this operation producing a deviation of arml through an extent diti'erent from the angle through which arms" 4: andlaremoved; 4 -Of course equivalent arrangements Within thescope oi the appended claims may be .aised, the form of the invention described herein being merely illustrative of one of the embodiments of the invention.

' In any case the shape to bennparted to slots 8 of sleeve 7 may be easily traced'by definin on the ground 01 the above formula, the value to be imparted to the actual or operative length of the connecting rod 6-6 .inrespect ofvalues o'fwheel steering angles sufficiently close toeach other.

lVhatI- claim as myinvention and desire seeure'by United States Letters Patent 1s: o r

1. In a, vehicle a pair of steering wheel supporting parts, arms eafc'h'so'lid With one of said parts, bar sections each having one end pivotally connected .witlllthe end of one of said arms, means interconnecting. the other ends of said bar s'ect1ons,sa1d means comprising at'least a cam guidetr-ansverse to the axis ofsaid bar .sectlons and guides for said bar sections extending in the direc} tion of the aXis'of the same, and steering 'means'actuating said arms and said interconnect ng means for the same.

- 7 2. In a vehicle aipair of steering? Wheel supporting parts, arms each-solidwvith one of saidpartmbar sectlons-each havingone end pivotally connected With the end of one 7 of said arms, aimein'berl slidablyfconnecting ring the, same;

of said parts, aligned bar sections each liaving one end pivotally connected With one of said arms, a sleeve slidably embracing the adjacent ends oifsaid bar sections said sleeve havlng tWo symmetrical cam slots, two studs each engaged in oneofsaid slotsand fastened on'the end of on'eoi Sa-Kl-bfll sections embraced by'said' sleeve and steering means actuating one ofsaid arms and said sleeve.

- In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. i

MARIO VEDOVELLI.

the adjacent ends of said bar sections, .coopvcrating cam means on said'member and bar sections said cam means being symmetrical toieach other-With respect "to the-.-.direction of the vehicle axis andtransverseto the'aXis v of 'sa'idbar sections, ELHClSlZGEI IIIg1116811530 011 ating' said arms and saidparts interconnect '3. In a vehicle a pair ot steering rvheel each solidfwith one of said bar sections and respectively engaging'said slots and steering Imeans actuating said. arms. and said sleeve. '41 In a vehicle a pair of: steeringfwheel" supporting parts,'arms eachsolid; Withione 

